Tombac "pimple" Button

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

ZDD & me on the relic trail yesterday.

To the point on the second stop of the day I found this tombac button (17mm). I found a couple nipple buttons before, but not of tombac. It's also different from any other tombac I found in that the back side is not lathe turned, it is rough cast still.

My research indicates these are called pimple buttons, and date to mid 17th C. Arguements, welcome.
So it's a first for me, and quite happy with that, as Dave did find of the day a quite decent copper coin.

The copper I got which is totally roached, is also a little different, what's left is 30mm, which is bigger than most half pennies, (head scratch) but we'll never know on that one.

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[Iron Patch]

Yes,no question those are very early. A fairly common find in the UK but I have never seen one dug here.

 

[Greylock]

Very nice Rick. Here are two tombac nipple i found. One is 27mm and the other is 26mm. Give or take.

 

[Iron Patch]

Very nice Rick. Here are two tombac nipple i found. One is 27mm and the other is 26mm. Give or take.


View attachment 1068886

Those are old, but quite a bit different, and may date later. They are more similar to the typical late 18th century tombacs, where as Rick's button is a little different mix of metal, cast different, and quite dense and heavy for the size. Your type I would expect to dig here, but not his.

 

[Greylock]

Those are old, but quite a bit different, and may date later. They are more similar to the late 18th century tombacs, where is Rick's button is a little different mix of metal, cast different, and quite dense and heavy for the size. Your type I would expect to dig here, but not his.

Ya I just noticed his was also sort of domed and much thicker.

 

[Iron Patch]

Ya I just noticed his was also sort of domed and much thicker.

yeah they are dense in the same way as picking up a small weight. The boys in VA find them, as well as anyone else who has access to good real early Colonial sites.

 

[RelicHunter97]

Ah, I found one of those buttons last week! Nice dig!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Those are old, but quite a bit different, and may date later. They are more similar to the typical late 18th century tombacs, where as Rick's button is a little different mix of metal, cast different, and quite dense and heavy for the size. Your type I would expect to dig here, but not his.

quite dense and heavy for the size.

Yes to that, and it was very shinny fresh out of the dirt, plus the weight, made me think for a second it might be silver.

 

[Gaspipe]

Very very cool congrats

 

[CRUSADER]

A few have turned up in the older States, but thats a first from Canada, that I've seen. Yes they are mid-17th C. They are associated with our Civil War as many of these civvy types were used as the armies had no formal military buttons. They are however, civvy.

PS. I prefer to call them nipple buttons.

 

[pepperj]

Nice going on the buckle and nipple button.

 

[Steve in PA]

Good early button Rick.

 

[timekiller]

I've got a few nipple buttons,this type reminds me of yours some what.Got a couple like this so not a common find here.Only mine has a little more pewter in it.Not like my early pewter buttons I normally find so I know the metal content is different in these types.

 

[ironhorse]

That's getting back there in age!

Hope there's another sign or find that will confirm the age of your site yet to be found

 

[Ahab8]

Wow nice early site you're on there buddy. Hope you find a few more items that date to the same period as your button

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

That's getting back there in age!

Hope there's another sign or find that will confirm the age of your site yet to be found

Can't tell you haw bad I'd like a silver from that era.

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Wow nice early site you're on there buddy. Hope you find a few more items that date to the same period as your button

Me too, and It wouldn't take many a silver coin or two would be fantastic.

 

[Iron Patch]

Can't tell you haw bad I'd like a silver from that era.

Very good chance if one was there it would be older because it's much more likely a coin would hang around much longer than a button. Only a very small % of people on here from North America get to hunt 17th century sites, or ever have hunted one.... and I am not one of those people. I'd say 1720-30 is likely the oldest.

 

[Silver Searcher]

They are quite a few of these types of buttons recorded on the UKFD, they are not classed as Tombac buttons, but rather a white metal, possibly lead/tin alloy. Tombac is a different mix of alloy's, but the 17th C date is correct.

SS

 

[Ahab8]

Very good chance if one was there it would be older because it's much more likely a coin would hang around much longer than a button. Only a very small % of people on here get to hunt 17th century sites, or ever have hunted one.... and I am not one of those people. I'd say 1720-30 is likely the oldest.

Don't want to divert this thread but what age would you think the button I just found is from? I've never found one with such a crude shank